Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947) Allan Lane, Robert Blake, Martha Wentworth, Trevor Bardette Movie Review

Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Allan Lane in Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947)

Taking Medicine in Cripple Creek

Tom Lambert (Trevor Bardette) finds himself in trouble with the law after arriving in Cripple Creek but the trouble is not of his doing but down to Long John Case (Gene Roth), a crook who has tricked everyone with his respectable business. Fearing for his wife and son's safety if he informs on Case he refuses to talk and so ends up in prison. Unfortunately Case talks Lambert's son in to joining with his outlaws but then gets word back to Lambert that his son's troubles are down to Red Ryder (Allan Lane)which leads to Lambert breaking out and going after Ryder.

At its heart "Marshal of Cripple Creek" is a routine Allan Lane western, he's the good guy, there's a crooked businessman who has people fooled with his upright citizen facade, there's trouble and as we are talking a Red Ryder movie we also have Robert Blake as Little Beaver. But to be fair whilst "Marshal of Cripple Creek" is built around the familiar corner posts of many a western it does have an entertaining set up when it comes to the crooked Long John Case and the way he is pulling the strings behind the scenes. It is that more than anything which keeps this little western entertaining.

But like with so many of these old one hour westerns "Marshal of Cripple Creek" still ends up forgettably familiar. And that comes down to the generic directing from R.G. Springsteen with action scenes which at times you feel could have been lifted from any other western from the 40s and even 30s. It is the same when it comes to Allan Lane who delivers a performance which is so typical it could have been the outtakes from other westerns pieced together.

What this all boils down to is that "Marshal of Cripple Creek" has its moments but for the most is an extremely typical Allan Lane western which fails to be memorable or stand out from the crowd.


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